Worcestershire v GloucestershireGloucestershire Gladiators stepped up their bid for a place in the quarter-finals of the Twenty20 Cup with a comfortable nine-wicket win over Worcestershire Royals at a packed New Road.

They easily reached a modest victory target of 101 with five overs to spare to virtually end the home side's hopes of reaching the last eight.

It also enabled Gladiators to complete a double over Worcestershire who lost by five wickets at Bristol last Sunday when former New Road opener Philip Weston hit an unbeaten 73.

On this occasion Weston was again his side's top scorer with 48 not out and put on 80 in 11 overs for the second wicket with Chris Taylor (33 not out).

They joined forces after Craig Spearman had been dismissed for 17 to open the way for Weston, dropped while on six by Zander de Bruyn off pace ace Shoaib Akhtar, to blast two sixes and five fours.

Earlier, Worcestershire, after winning the toss and deciding to bat first, made a disastrous start by losing Gareth Batty first ball when he was bowled off stump by paceman Steve Kirby.

It set the scene for a grim struggle for runs by the Royals who were all out for 100 in 18.4 overs, their lowest score so far in the competition.

Their previous lowest had been 114 against Glamorgan Dragons at Cardiff in 2003.

Ben Smith tried to repair the damage caused by Batty's dismissal and managed 20 before an outside edge off paceman Carl Greenidge enabled former Worcestershire wicketkeeper Steve Adshead to take a comfortable catch.

Graeme Hick soon followed when he fended off a Greenidge delivery to Alex Gidman at long leg for six.

It was another disappointing innings for the former England batsman who has now scored just 26 in his last four Twenty20 innings after his opening two knocks had produced an impressive 154.

David Leatherdale and de Bruyn took the Royals onto the 50 mark in the eighth over before the Gladiators struck again.

Their victim was David Leatherdale who was snapped up at deep mid-wicket by Spearman off paceman Mark Alleyne for 15.

Gloucestershire spinner Martyn Ball then took over centre stage by reducing the crumbling hosts to 86 for seven by ripping out Zander de Bruyn, Stephen Peters and James Pipe to end with an impressive haul of three for 24.

Daryl Mitchell departed to Kirby for four, followed by Stephen Moore for a top score of 23 which included one six and a four.

Worcestershire could only muster 11 fours and one six, their tally restricted by a miserly bowling display from man-of-the-match Alleyne whose four overs cost just six runs.